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Ruth Ware’s Top TV Thriller Picks

As a bestselling thriller writer both sides of the Atlantic, Ruth Ware knows a good narrative twist when she sees one.

After the recent paperback publication of her new gripping thriller ‘The Lying Game’, Ruth gave us a run down of the best TV thrillers that had her hooked…

“Ok - confession time: I'm a complete box set addict. Having spent all day reading and writing, my not-so-guilty pleasure is to put on my cosiest jogging bottoms, curl up on the sofa with the remote, and binge-watch my latest obsession. So when Hush asked me to put together a list of my favourite TV thrillers, I was only too delighted to crack my knuckles and start recommending...” - Ruth Ware

Big Little Lies

Ok, ok, I know, everyone from your postman to your granny has probably told you how great this show is. But seriously - if you haven't yet watched it, DO IT. I don't have Sky so I played catch up on iTunes after it aired, but that just meant that I was able roar through all seven episodes to the triumphant finale in about three evenings. I'm not sure if it's down to being a crime writer, but I figured out the big reveal fairly early on - however it's a testament to the show's strength that it didn't matter in the least. I cared so much about the characters and the outcome that I watched along with my heart in my mouth, half wanting to be right, half afraid of what might befall these women.

Watch on Sky Atlantic or NOWTV

Westworld

Talking of the big reveal... this isn't exactly a classic thriller, but it uses many of the tropes of the genre to fantastic effect. There's the woman with a mission to find out what's really going on, there's the silent baddie stalking his prey, there's the good man struggling against impossible odds, there's secrets, lies, and unreliable memories - and, above all, there is the most excellent, can't-possibly-spoil-it-for-you twist. And this one I really didn't see coming. Yes, it's sci fi, but if you love relatable characters, a story that keeps you guessing and a twist that flips the whole thing upside down... well, you'll find it here.

Watch on Sky Atlantic or NOWTV

Trapped

Talking of the big reveal... this isn't exactly a classic thriller, but it uses many of the tropes of the genre to fantastic effect. There's the woman with a mission to find out what's really going on, there's the silent baddie stalking his prey, there's the good man struggling against impossible odds, there's secrets, lies, and unreliable memories - and, above all, there is the most excellent, can't-possibly-spoil-it-for-you twist. And this one I really didn't see coming. Yes, it's sci fi, but if you love relatable characters, a story that keeps you guessing and a twist that flips the whole thing upside down... well, you'll find it here.

Watch on Sky Atlantic or NOWTV

Dark

Another show in translation, and another show that somewhat defies categorisation. Dark has been described as a Germanic successor to the utterly bewitching Stranger Things and there's definitely an element of that - also of the OA, another Netflix original that I thoroughly enjoyed. But it's also completely original, and with a menacing atmosphere and a mind-bending premise, you'll soon find yourself sucked in, as desperate as the local cops to unravel the mystery of the young boy who has turned up out of the blue, dead, in totally perfect 1980s clothing.

Watch on Netflix UK

How To Get Away With Murder

And now for something completely different - How To Get Away With Murder is slick, stylish and stylised - and very hard to sum up. Ostensibly it seems to begin as a Suits or The Good Wife-style legal drama, with charismatic law professor Annalise Keating (played with mesmerising effect by Viola Davis) drawing around her a circle of young, ambitious law students to help her in her legal practice. But it soon turns into something completely different, when the young acolytes become entangled in something far darker and more complicated - and have to work out, quite literally, how to get away with murder. With a plot that turns on its head almost every episode and some dazzling acting, it's definitely a "just one more episode" kind of show.

Watch on Netflix UK

The Break

This one is a little bit of a cheat as I've only just started it - but with a superb cliff-hanger start and a fantastically unnerving opening act, I think it might just be my new addiction. Belgian policeman Yoann has moved back to his hometown, only to be greeted by the discovery of a body pulled from the local river. It's that of a promising young, black football player. Everything points to suicide but Yoann's not so sure. With a sinister local loner, a healthy dose of bungling cops, and some well-observed parent-child anxiety, I'm only a couple of episodes in but I'm hooked. If anyone wants me, I'll be in my joggers, on the sofa, with the remote. Just don't tweet me any spoilers...

Watch on Netflix UK

Ruth Ware’s ‘The Lying Game’ is out now in paperback, ebook and audiobook. Read an extract here!